Thailand

15 December 2009 / Vientiane to Udon Thani ( Thailand) / 88 km / Total  2437km
We left the capital of Laos and reached after 20km the border to Thailand. After an easy and pleasant ride we reached Udon Thani.

Laos

02 December 2009 / Don Det / 22km / Total 1914km
Without the weight of the bags, we explored today the two island, Don Det and Don Khon.Both of the island are linked by a small bridge used by the french for the railway they used during WW2.

Wat at Don Det

La Phi Falls on Don Khon

Beautiful bicycle trails on Don Det and Don Khon

03 December 2009 / Don Det to Champasak / 122km / Total 2036km
What was planned to be an early start and an easy 80 to 90 km ride, turned out to be a very late arrival (again in the dark) , a lot of dirt roads and a total of 122km.
The boat from Don Det which was planned to pick us up at 06:00 was here and everthing was working perfect. Onces arrived in Nakasang we stopped for breakfast. It took them 1,5 hours to make us ( we were the only guest) two small breakfast. On the road to Champasak we modified our planning and wanted to take a short cut. We had a beautiful ride but the road ( our short cut) was a dirt road with lots of dust. We finaly made it to Champasak at 19:30 in the night.

Crossing the Mekong river to reach Champasak

Sometimes you need to walk even with a full suspension Bicycle

04 December 2009 / Champasak to Pakse  / 40 km / Total 2076km
An up and down ride and 40km and we arrived in Pakse. We checked in at a Hotel, had the laundry sorted out, had some lunch at a very nice Indian Restaurant and rented a Motor bike in order to visit the famous Wat Pu Champasak.

Wat Pu Champasak

05 December 2009 / Pakse / Rest day / 0km / Total 2076km
A rest day is always welcome. Here in Pakse they have very good coffee, nice restaurants and quite fast internet.We spent the whole day with eating, internet and sleeping.

Laos transport. People and animals use the same transport.

Dinner at the roof top restaurant at the Pakse Hotel

06 December 2009 / Pakse to Pakson / 60km all uphill / Total 2136km

We started early from Pakse to reach the Bolaven Plateau. It's all uphill from Pakse to Paksan and we are climbing the whole day the 1300 meter above sea level.

On the way to Pakson (Bolaven Plateau)

07 December 2009 / Pakson to Benkham Khan / 78 km all dirt road / Total 2214km

We had a fantastic ride all on dirt road.

Ready for the downhill part

Crash from Monica on the last 16km of the downhill part.

After 500m of Monicas crash site, I also got a crash..

But we made it .....

08 December 2009 / Benkham Khan to That Teng / 60km / Total 2274km

Very hard ride today. Even when the road was downhill, somehow we had the feeling we are not going nowhere. But we made it until That Theng. We checked in at a nice gueast house and some real nice Koren BBQ for dinner.

09 December 2009 / That Theng until the crash site / 11 km / Total 2286 km

What was planned as a nice downhillride on a 30km dirt road , was nearly the end of our bicycle trip.

We left the guesthouse at around 07:30 and were looking forward to the downhill part on a dirt road. Soon after we left That Then we were on a dirt road ( very hard surface ) with no traffic at all but very nive surface. We were running quite fast until we came to a part wher roadworks were underway. The road suddenly was wet and extremly slippery. I was just to fel of the bicycle but somehow could manage to stay on it. It quick made some signs to Monica in order for her to slow down, but the next time

Cambodia second part

26 November 2009 / Bavet to Phumi Banaman / 104 km / Total 1529 km
Nothing special today on the ride between the Vietnam border and the Mekong. We had our bicycles washed in the afternoon and quite late we checked in at a Hotel near the Mekong ferry.

Some people get a rest

While other people need to work

We are in Cambodia again

27 November 2009 / Phumi Banaman to Prey Veng / 30 km / Total 1559 km

Today we had a late start, some rain in the morning, some headwind and an upset stomach. The result was, that we only did 30 km.

Monica with the local football team from Prey Veng

Cambodian welding ( With sunglasses)

28 November 2009 / Prey Veng to Kratie / 104 km / Total 1663 km

We left Prey Veng at about 06:00 in the morning in order to reach Kratie. We had a very long ride with the last 35km all dirt road. There it happend, at around 17:00 and still some 20km on the dirt road, my inner tube from the front tyre just exploded. I tried to fix it but the valve was ripped out of the tube. Luckily in a near by village we found a spare tube and the villagers fixed the problem.
Conclusion:
If you buy spare sparts, make sure they fit. Our spare tubes we bought do not fit our rims due to valve diameter. If you want to ride in the dark, make sure your bicycle has a light, it makes it easier to ride on dirt roads in the night.

At this stage it was just a flat tyre

I try to fix a flat tyre with the help of the locals but during my repair I wrecked the valve!

and finaly the local people from a nearby village,  changed my inner tube, because our spare one did not fit

29 November 2009 / Kratie / Rest day / 0 km / Total 1663 km

We made a rest day after the 104 km yesterday and the late arrival. Kratie is famous for dolphin watching. Therefore we headed today to Kampi to watch the Mekong Dolphin.With a boat we went for the dolphins and after a few minutes we were lucky and could see them. A total of a about 5 to 6 dolphins could be seen from the boat.

Dolphin watching in the Mekong River

Children playing on the river shore

30 November 2009 / Kratie to Stung Treng / 144 km / Total 1807km
Today we had our first real long trip without the possibility to sleep somewhere inbetween. From Kratie to Stung Treng. We left around 05:30 but 3 flat tyres on my bike were responsible for the late ( in the dark again) arrival in Stung treng. We spent a total of 13,5 hours on the bicycle.

Belgian couple we met between Kratie and Stung Treng

First of the 3 flat tyre

Between Kratie and Stung Treng

01 December 2009 / Stung Treng to Don Det (Laos)  / 85km / Total 1892km
We crossed the border into Laos at around lunch time and had a pleasant ride until Nakasan, where we took a small boat to Don Det Island.

Ferry boat to Don Det

Cambodian / Laos Border

Vietnam to Cambodia

24 November 2009 / Saigon to Cu Chi / 66 km / Total 1427 km
We left Saigon in order to visit the Cu Chi tunnels. These tunnels were used by the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War and streched for more than 200 km between the Cambodian Border until 30km from Saigon.
We visited 2 dfifferent sites, Ben Dinh and Ben Duoc. We were in the tunnel complex until dark and had to take finally the first Hotel we found. Unfortunately it was not the kind of Hotel we expected but what else we could do without lights on the bicycles?

Access to tunnel

Inside tunnel

Underground head quarter

Traps used by the Viet Congs ( Bambuu sticks....)

An other tunnel .....

25 November 2009 / Cu Chi  to Bavet (Cambodia) / 62 km / Total 1489km

With an early morning ride we made it until lunch time to the Cambodian border. The place here is full of ugly Casino's. Anyway, we plan to go as quick as possible to Laos.

Special Hotel we stayed in Cu Chi

On the way between Vietnam and Cambodia

Vietnam - Saigon

20. November 2009 Ben Luc to Saigon / 27 km / Total 1361km
We had an early start and left Ben Luc at 06:00. After 27km in absolut mad traffic we arrived in Saigon at 08:00. Just the perfect time for a heavy Irish breakfast with fried eggs, beans, bacon, potatoes and fried tomatoes. We checked in at a Hotel in the Pham Ngu Lao region. (The Backpackers ghetto from Saigon).

Early morning ride into Saigon or HCMC. Monicas is wearing her mask as many locals do as well.

Mad traffic in Saigon

Saigon traffic ( transport of Durian)

Post office in Saigon

Special Market in Saigon for Scooters and Bicycle parts

21. November 2009 Saigon / Rest Day / 0km / Total 1361km

We did the so called city tour. We visited the War Remnants Museum, Notre Dame Cathedral, Reunification Palace and of course china town.

War Remnant Museum in Saigon

Reunification Palace

Inside of a Chinese Tempel

22. November 2009 / Saigon / Rest day / 0km / Total 1361km

Another day rest in Saigon with lots of Internet, western food, laundry and looking for spare parts for Monicas bike.

Saigon Post office

More than 5 millions scooters in Saigon

23. November 2009 / Saigon / Rest day / 0km / Total 1361km

Another rest day in Saigon.

Kabel Salat in Saigon

Street Vendor

BBQ dinner in Saigon

Vietnam

15. November 2009 Ha Tien to Rach Gia / 95 Km / Total 1001km
Today we had an early start. We left at 06:00 our Hotel and had a pleasant ride along various canals until we arrived at 13:30 at Rach Gia.
We passed the first 1000 km.




16. November 2009 Rach Gia to Can To/ 118km / Total 1119km
We left at 07:00 our Hotel and had a pleasant ride along various canals until lunch time. At the restaurant we were told, that we would have another 68 km to do before we would arrive in Can To. Therefore we shortened our lunch and were again on the bicycles for Can To, where we arrived after 17:00 and very tired.

Monica is choosing breakfast

During the ride

17. November 2009 Can To to Vinh Long / 48km / Total 1167km
Heavy breakfast and late start made the only 48 km very hard. After a short ride, we had to cross the Mekong River with a ferry. At lunch time we arrived at Vinh Long. After a good massage and 1,5 hour later, we were recovered from yesterdays long trip.

Ferry to cross the Mekong River

Break at Roadside Coffe

18. November 2009 Vinh Long to Tra Vinh / 66km / Total 1233km

After we fixed the Velo computer from Monicas bicycle, we left our Hotel at 06:00 in the morning. We had a pleasant ride and after 30km had breakfast at a Roadside Restaurant. After lunch time we arrived in Tra Vinh without any problems.

Also in Vietnam anything will be transported by Bicycle

Have some nice frog for dinner?

Roadside coffee shop in Vietnam!

19. November 2009 Tra Vinh to Ben Luc / 101km / Total 1334km

We had to take two times a ferry in order to cross the Mekong River. The first 20 km were in beautiful Mekong jumgle and all at dirt road. Before Ben Tre we had to cross the Mekong again, but this time over a huge bridge. In Ben Tree we had very nice lunch and with the help of some tail wind we did it until Ben Luc which is some 27 km outside of Saigon.

Ferry on the Mekong River

Between Tra Vinh and Ben Tre

Local transport

Bridge over Mekong

Lunch!!!